Morning Thread: Zack Cox, Lance Berkman

I'm a little pressed for time this morning, so I'll have to throw up some fake bullet points and vanish, if you'll forgive me. It's time to worry about Zack Cox again! 

Namely: Does it seem like we should be more excited about Zack Cox than we are? I mean, he was 2-4 with a double yesterday, and in Major League camp, no less, and I feel nothing. If that had been Colby Rasmus circa 2006 I'd be giddy, but Cox's weird profile still has me concerned. I'm sure there's an exciting best-case scenario version of Zack Cox, but I just can't come up with a mental image at this juncture; is it hitting .300 with 20 home runs and playing an average third base? Is that what going over slot for one of the best college hitters in the draft looks like now? 

He's not exciting—this part is irrational, but I was more excited to see Tommy Pham show up to pinch-run for Albert Pujols—but I guess he's reassuring. His combination of a high floor and a short path to the majors are perfect for a team that's starting David Freese at third, and if Freese stays healthy all year while Skip Schumaker struggles at second base I can imagine a scenario in which the everybody-can-play-second-base speculation starts up anew, much to Daniel Descalso's chagrin. 

But I haven't yet found myself thrilled by his presence in Major League camp. I guess that's what the Carlos Martinez signing was for. 

Lance Berkman, meanwhile, gave us the chance to not appreciate Zack Cox yesterday by proving unable to DH after a mild calf strain. Comp-wise, how does Larry Walker without the defense sound to you? He's less fragile than Walker, and younger, so I could be convinced to push the bar up from 100 games to 130, but the preponderance of nagging injuries makes me think Jon Jay and Allen Craig will have no shortage of playing time, both on scheduled days off and as his legs in the late innings.

Finally, how awesome does Amaury Cazana look in this picture? He looks like he's about to throw the ball really hard, but I'm told he's actually the only man ever to unlock the NBA Jam: TE Teleport Pass cheat in real life; the glare and the classical Greek form are mainly just for show.